Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and U.S. President Donald J. Trump have signed the United States–Australia Framework for Securing Supply in the Mining and Processing of Critical Minerals and Rare Earths at the White House, marking a major expansion of the 70-year alliance. The agreement aims to build a secured bilateral supply chain for essential materials used in defence, clean energy, and semiconductor production.
Both nations will each invest at least USD 1 billion toward an USD 8.5 billion pipeline of priority critical-minerals projects. Australia announced USD 200 million in concessional equity finance for the Alcoa-Sojitz Gallium Recovery Project in Western Australia and USD 100 million for the Arafura Nolans Project in the Northern Territory, with the U.S. also committing equity funding and offtake rights.
The framework will strengthen economic and defence cooperation, enhance global supply resilience, and secure up to 15% of global gallium and rare-earth production, ensuring both nations’ strategic independence and technological competitiveness.
